Back
Written by Andrea Trevisan - Bancosta Cruise
the ships have evolved and the technology has evolved (which we are currently a big part of with our company netTALK Maritime), but the standard of service and overall value remains. That is the cornerstone of the industry vs land based vacations (Mr. Anastasios "Takis" Kyriakides)
A LUNCH WITH THE KYRIAKIDES: A STORY OF PASSION AND INNOVATION FOR THE CRUISE INDUSTRY.
It was the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020 when I got a call from Mr. Anastasios “ Takis” Kyriakides regarding a cooperation in a project.
One of those calls where I had an immediate "click". I could feel in Mr. Takis' warm voice that he was one of those persons who leaves an impact. I can well say that it was the case also for me since I had the fortune to connect with him.
As I hanged up the phone, out of curiosity, I quickly run a web search about Mr. Kyriakides and I was absolutely impressed by his amazing story. if you are interested you can read more following this link.
Mr. Takis is an inspiring person for many reasons: for what he has accomplished in his impressive career but also for his kind and approachable personality.
In his earlier career, Mr. Takis funded 3 cruise lines in the 80’s: Regency Cruises, Tropicana Cruises and Seawind. Regency Cruises was the first public listed cruise line in the NASDAQ.
Cruise is a passion for the Kyriakides, but actually Mr. Takis Kyriakides, after migrating from Greece in the early 70’s, started in technology bringing in the US the market the world first electronic translator. The story is brilliant and if you are curious you view the youtube video at the bottom of this page. A young Kyriakides is participating at the Merv Griffin show in Las Vegas 1978 explaining his invention.
Mr. Takis and his bright son Nick are leading nowadays a truly successful technology business: netTALK Maritime serving a number of cruise lines but also important players in the maritime industry and on shore.
In fact, netTALK Maritime innovative technology has greatly contributed to the restart of the cruise industry in probably its most critical times during the pandemic.
Since our first exchange in 2020, I had the privilege and pleasure to cultivate a friendship with the Kyriakides’ which I value a lot. I always enjoy spending time with them and learning about their experiences.
Here I will share some nice stories of the Kyriakides’ experience and thoughts about the cruise future. During a recent enjoyable lunch at the loverly “Boatyard” in Fort Lauderdale.
I feel like there are more chapters to be written in the Kyriakides' story!
STARTING REGENCY CRUISES WITH AN "HANDSHAKE"
Mr. Takis Kyriakides is for me a real "old school" business gentleman. I am always fascinated how fantastic stories can just start out of a passion or just an intuition...
(Andrea) Mr. Takis your career and story is simply impressive in several fields. What has connected you to the cruise industry?
(Mr. Takis Kyriakides): I was semi-retired from a successful exit from my first company, Lexicon, which we took public - I received a call from a friend in Greece (who knew I couldn't just sit around and relax, by the way), telling me to visit a shipowner and one of his cruise ships at a shipyard in Greece. So my wife Maria and I flew over to Greece from Miami and went to the shipyard in Perama. We noticed a bunch of bulk carriers and tankers and saw 1 cruise ship that had a mishap while in dry dock. I'll never forget, my wife said "is this why we can came all the way over here for this?".
Several decks were submerged and its funny because it was still dripping wet. I said we had to listen to the story. So we met the owner, and to be honest, I liked the guy. He needed an investor to get the ship back into service and because I liked him, we shook hands and I immediately had the funds wired to his bank. We didn't even sign any paperwork until after my lawyers found out and almost had a heart attack . Well, he kept his word and delivered the ship on time. And by another stroke of luck, I met and brought in William Schanz from Pacquet French Cruises and with that ship, we started Regency Cruises. After we took Regency public, I founded Tropicana Cruises out of Miami to Bimini and Seawind Cruise Line out of Aruba.
REGENT STAR WITH CESSNA WINGLETS
(Andrea): Mr. Takis, you have founded Regency Cruises in 1984, and you have made it the first cruise line stock listed in the NASDAQ. The cruise world has completely evolved since then. What do you see as common denominators between the Regency Cruises times and cruise 2.0 post pandemic?
(Mr. Takis Kyriakides): Good question - the ships have evolved and the technology has evolved (which we are currently a big part of with our company netTALK Maritime), but the standard of service and overall value remains. That is the cornerstone of the industry vs land based vacations.
(Andrea): What is the cruise ship you feel more attached to?
(Mr. Takis Kyriakides): For sure the Regent Sea. Little known fact, the winglets on the funnel are from a Cessna plane we purchased, cut the wings off it and attached them to the funnels.
(Andrea): What is the cruise segment which attracts you the most nowadays?
Families
COMMUNICATION INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES
(Andrea): Nick, I guess you became a cruise passionate following your Father when you were a child. Do you have a particular memory of those times you would like to mention?
(Mr. Nick Kyriakides): Yes, I was lucky enough to experience quite a bit of time in shipyards as a child. I even had a pair of coveralls and pretended to work at the yard. I remember weld sparks dropping on me and loved it. I also remember crawling into the boiler while it was offline being cleaned - I'm laughing now because it seemed to be the best job in the world at the time.
(Andrea) What is to your opinion the biggest innovation on cruise ships since then?
(Mr. Nick Kyriakides): Size, scale and technology. Moving massive amounts of people quickly on and off ships while still providing best in class service at a great value.
(Andrea) Could you tell us more about netTALK Maritime and how are you supporting the cruise industry these days?
(Mr. Nick Kyriakides): We are a communications intelligence company. We primarily develop, install and operate onboard communications networks for passengers, crew and shoreside personnel, location services (including contact tracing), and Telehealth technologies for the maritime industry worldwide.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE RESTART OF THE CRUISE INDUSTRY
(Andrea): How did you support with your technology the cruise industry during the pandemic period?
(Mr. Nick Kyriakides): As you know, that was a very difficult and emotional time for the industry. Luckily our cruise line customers leaned on us to develop any and all technical tools possible to satisfy CDC requirements (which were constantly changing). We mainly focused and deployed contact tracing, telehealth solutions and virtual queuing products. But I can assure you that I am glad that is behind us and the industry can go back to focusing on what they do best - providing an exceptional vacation experience.
(Andrea): What is your view of the future of cruise, so let’s say cruise 2.0 post pandemic ?
(Mr. Nick Kyriakides): Less touch points from booking to boarding and a very personalized experience at scale at every level (including mass market).
(Andrea) Do you have some exciting projects ahead you would like to share with us?
(Mr. Nick Kyriakides): Stay tuned ;)
When Nick replied, I have noticed immediately his Father Mr. Takis glancing with a smile to his son on the other side of the table.
It was an interesting smile which said a lot. I have already noticed the same smile in several pictures of Mr. Takis' photo album. I understood in a second the chapters of Mr. Takis' incredible career and achievements might not be ended. It feels like there is something very exciting ahead in the future for the Kyriakides!
Andrea Trevisan
A young and brilliant Mr. Anastasios "Takis" Kyriakides live at the Merv Griffin show in 1978